


a scene unseen

by The_Pan_With_A_Plan



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Era, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, it's just set between something to believe in and once and for all, kath doesn't understand that she has comphet, lesbian kath, this isn't really jatherine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-23 22:05:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21327403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Pan_With_A_Plan/pseuds/The_Pan_With_A_Plan
Summary: At the rally, Jack broke Davey's heart. So what happened between then and once and for all to get Davey to forgive him?
Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly, Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	a scene unseen

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a post on tumblr about how we never got to see Jack apologizing to Davey, and, well, I got inspired.

Jack stood on the rooftop, grinning. All plans of running off had promptly fallen away. He had a girlfriend, and a plan, and they were going to put it into action. Davey would round up the rest of the newsies, and- oh. He hadn’t apologized to Davey yet. His palms started sweating. That wasn’t something he was looking forward to. And it wouldn’t be like with Katherine. He couldn’t just kiss him and it’s magically- nope, he had a girlfriend and besides, that’s illegal. Katherine must have noticed his sudden shift in mood, because she asked, “What’s wrong, Jackie?” He involuntarily winced at the petname, because, he realized, that’s what it was. She must have seen that too, because she quickly apologized. 

“Sorry.”

“No, no, you’re fine.” He took a deep breath. “I just realized that i haven’t apologized to Davey for, erm, steering the rally into total chaos.” Her eyes went wide and she uttered something that sounded suspiciously like “Dear lord save you.”

“Well then, i think it’s high time we paid someone a midnight visit.”

Jack knew the way to the Jacobs’ apartment. The two brothers had needed to get home from Medda’s theater somehow, and there was no way in hell Jack was going to let the small child and his fish-out-of-water of a brother try and find their way home at night alone. With every step, his panic mounted, and by the time they turned into the alley that held the fire escape, Jack was hyperventilating. 

David Jacobs was not having a good night. Jack had broken his heart by scabbing, but not only that, he’d broken all hell loose. The rally had officially ended early when it had dissolved into shouting and arguing, despite not a single newsie agreeing with Jack, but it had taken far too long to clear out the theater. When everything went to the rats, Davey had handed Les over to Specs with firm instructions to wait for him at the stagedoor, and then set about the seemingly impossible task of diffusing the situation before it turned to a riot. It had been a quarter to midnight by the time he had finally gotten everyone out, and he was struggling to hold back tears and a panic attack. All along the walk back to their apartment, Les had been asking him questions, the answers to which he had no idea and didn’t know if he could handle. By the time they reached the building, his breathes were coming out in rattling heaves. Mercifully, Les had fallen asleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow, leaving David alone in the small bedroom the two brothers shared. He didn’t even undress, he wasn’t sure his legs would hold up. He just sat down on the edge of the bed and let everything pour out. He cried silently, but in huge, coughing sobs, shaking his frame. He barely heard it amidst his gasping, but he caught a rap-tap-tapping at his window. 

As Jack and Katherine approached the window of the fifth floor apartment, they saw Davey inside, his back to the window. His head was in his hands, and his torso was shuddering up and down. It wrenched Jack’s heart, knowing that he had been the one to hurt Davey like that. He took a shaky breath to steady himself, and then raised his hand to the window. But he couldn’t do it, he was shaking too hard. Luckily, Katherine was there to come to his rescue. She gave a few brisk knocks, and Jack wasn’t sure if Davey had heard them, but then Davey’s head jerked up, and he hurriedly swiped at his face before standing up and walking around the bed. When he registered who was waiting at his window, he froze, a look of pure panic displayed across his face. He looked like a trapped animal, and it shot a sharp barb right through Jack’s heart. Soon, however, it was replaced by a mask of ice, the same one he’d been wearing on his first day as a newsie. It felt like forever ago. He opened the window and climbed into the night air. Davey gestured upward, his face stony, and the little group continued up the fire escape to the roof. Jack hurried to sit down on a crate. His legs felt like they were about to give way, and for that matter, so did his stomach. 

“What do you want with me?” He asked coldly. His voice dragged claws across Jack’s heart. 

“I- I just wanted to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Davey hissed, pacing furiously.

And Jack couldn’t take it anymore. Hot tears started to run down his cheeks.  _ Pathetic. I’m the most pathetic person. I don’t even deserve these tears, this is all my fault to begin with. _

When Jack started to cry, Katherine couldn’t help but swear under her breath. Davey... had not been too pleased with the sight of Jack, and from the looks of it, it would only get worse. But then she saw Davey’s face. He had stopped pacing and was stock-still, staring at Jack. His mouth was open helplessly, his eyes wide. He looked shocked and weary as he stood there, helpless. 

Davey had no idea what to do. He’d never seen Jack cry before. He’d never seen Jack vulnerable. Jack had been devastated by Crutchie’s arrest, but even then, he’d been angry. He’d protected himself like a hedgehog, curling up into a prickly ball and hissing at anyone who got near. He’d never seen Jack cry. And he’d been the one to make him. 

He scurried over to Jack. “Jackie…” he said gently, before feeling a rush of shame.  _ Don’t be a scumbag, Jacobs. _ He knew that Katherine was there for a reason. But Jack didn’t object to the petname (because, much as Davey tried to silence it, the little voice in his head telling him “ _ that’s what it is” _ was right), because to Jack, it felt right. 

Two steady streams flowed down Jack’s face silently. He hid his face in his hands, embarrassed. He didn’t speak. He didn’t trust himself to have something other than sobs come out if he opened his mouth. By now Davey was sitting beside him, a comforting hand on his back. That just made him cry harder. He didn’t deserve Davey, he needed to speak, apologize. 

“They threatened you,” he mumbled. 

“Me??”

“Yeah. And Les and Crutchie. They said that I better behave, or else, or else they were gonna lock up all the boys, they were gonna let Crutchie rot in prison, they were gonna rip you and Les right out of your family, when you ain’t never done no wrong.” Davey winced at that.  _ What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.  _ But Jack wasn’t finished yet.

“They were gonna let you all suffer, and it would be on me.” 

“None of this is your fault, Jackie.”

“You’re too good for me, Dave.”

There was a brief pause as both boys wandered in their own emotions. Then suddenly, Davey swept Jack up in a crushing hug, surprising them both. Emotionally exhausted, Jack melted into the embrace. 

“I knew it”

“Knew.. what?!”

“That you didn’t scab for the money.”

“..oH.” 

Katherine knew that she was  _ supposed _ to feel something about watching her new boyfriend holding another boy tight, despite all logic pointing to it being platonic. She knew that she was to be jealous and get possessive, or self-assured and unaffected, because “he doesn’t have a chance, Jack  _ absolutely adores _ me”, or all those other things that women are supposed to do. And she knew that she definitely wasn’t supposed to find it… sweet. And kinda cute. And romantic, in a way that only small gestures can be, but her’s and jack’s never were. 

Jack could tell Davey was crying again, because there were droplets hitting the back of his shirt. He didn’t blame Davey, this had been one hell of a stressful day. Jack wasn’t quite sure how to cheer him up, so he awkwardly patted David’s back. Eventually davey pulled away, wiping furiously at his eyes. 

“M’sorry you had to see me so pathetic, Jack.”

Jack gently brought a hand to Davey’s face. “Don’t apologize to me. We can’t both be sorry, and if anyone should be, it’s me.” They held eye contact for ten seconds longer than they probably should have, and Davey flinched. Jack withdrew his hand like he’d touched an ember, and the awkwardness bubbled in the air. Then a guardian angel by the name of Katherine swooped in, clearing her throat. 

“So here’s the plan,” she started.

**Author's Note:**

> wow, this is the longest thing I've ever posted. find me at @and-i-lostmy-shoe on tumblr dot hell!


End file.
